The results of the 2016 Census today revealed that the Northern Territory is a fast-changing, ever-expanding and culturally diverse Territory.

It has been less than 10 months since the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) took the pulse of the nation to find out who we are, how we live, what we do, and where we’re headed.

The Census was used to update the NT’s estimated resident population, which at 31 December, 2016 had grown to 245,048 people.

The 2016 Census counted 228,833 usual residents of the NT on Census night, an increase of 8.0 per cent increase from 2011.

The region of Litchfield, which stretches from the outskirts of Darwin to the winding Adelaide River and as far south as the Manton Dam, saw the fastest population growth in the Territory over the past five years, with an increase of 26 per cent to 24,000 people, up from 19,000 people in 2011. Palmerston, 21 kilometres southeast of Darwin, was the next fastest growing region in the Territory, with its population increasing to 34,000 from 28,000 (up 22 per cent).

Where the outback meets the tropics, Katherine was the fastest growing region outside of Darwin, with a population increase of five per cent since 2011.

More and more migrants have come to call the Territory home in 2016. One in five Territorians (20 per cent) were born overseas, an increase from 16.6 per cent in 2011.

The Philippines was the Territory’s most commonly reported country of birth outside of Australia, accounting for 2.6 per cent of the population. This was followed by England, New Zealand, India, and Greece.

A total of 58,248 Territorians reported having Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origins, an increase of 1,469 people since 2011. The Northern Territory remains the state or territory with the highest proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (25 per cent), while NSW has the greatest count (216,176 people).

The most common languages spoken in Northern Territory homes other than English were Indigenous languages Kriol and Djambarrpuyngu.

Christianity was the most commonly reported religion in the Northern Territory, accounting for almost half of the Territory’s population – 109,000 people – while 29 per cent of people reported they had ‘No religion’.

Chasing the great Australian dream was tough in the top end, with the Northern Territory recording Australia’s highest median monthly mortgage repayment at $2,167, an increase of 5.5 per cent since 2011. The Territory’s median weekly rent climbed a massive 40 per cent to $315 over the past five years.

Territorians recorded the country’s second-highest median weekly income at $871, with the Litchfield Local Government Area recorded the highest median income at $1,090 a week.

Australian Statistician David W. Kalisch said Census data is high quality, thanks to the participation of Australians.

“The Independent Assurance Panel I established to provide extra assurance and transparency of Census data quality concluded that the 2016 Census data can be used with confidence,” Mr Kalisch said.

“The 2016 Census had a response rate of 95.1 per cent and a net undercount of 1.0 per cent. This is a quality result, comparable to both previous Australian Censuses and Censuses in other countries, such as New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

“Furthermore, 63 per cent of people completed the Census online, embracing the digital-first approach and contributing to faster data processing and data quality improvements.

“2016 Census data provides a detailed, accurate and fascinating picture of Australia, which will be used to inform critical policy, planning and service delivery decisions for our communities over the coming years,” he said.

Census data is available free online. Use one of our easy tools such as QuickStats and Community Profiles to access the latest data for your area or topic of interest.

You can also attend one of our free Seminars. To find out more about Census Data Seminar series, or to register, go to the ABS website.

Northern Territory

2016

2011

Usual resident count

228,833

211,945

Population growth

8.0%

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

58,248

56,779

Median age

32

31

Sex

Male

51.8%

51.7%

Female

48.2%

48.3%

Born overseas

45,302 (19.8%)

35,099 (16.6%)

Country of birth (top 5 outside Australia) %

1.

Philippines – 5,914 (2.6%)

England – 5,322 (2.5%)

2.

England – 5,583 (2.4%)

New Zealand – 3,968 (1.9%)

3.

New Zealand – 4,636 (2.0%)

Philippines – 3,586 (1.7%)

4.

India – 3,598 (1.6%)

India – 1,917 (0.9%)

5.

Greece – 1,268 (0.6%)

United States of America – 1,054 (0.5%)

Languages spoken at home (top 4) %

1.

English – 132,634 (58.0%)

English – 133,015 (62.8%)

2.

Kriol – 4,390 (1.9%)

Kriol – 3,993 (1.9%)

3.

Djambarrpuyngu – 4,275 (1.9%)

Djambarrpuyngu – 2,970 (1.4%)

4.

Greek – 3,245 (1.4%)

Greek – 2,855 (1.3%)

Religious affiliation (top 3) %

1.

No Religion – 67,176 (29.4%)

No Religion – 49,600 (23.4%)

2.

Catholic – 45,843 (20.0%)

Catholic – 45,763 (21.6%)

3.

Anglican – 19,234 (8.4%)

Anglican – 24,145 (11.4%)

Registered marital status (over 15 years old) %

Married

78,333 (43.7%)

70,155 (43.1%)

Separated

6,046 (3.4%)

5,528 (3.4%)

Divorced

13,442 (7.5%)

13,273 (8.2%)

Widowed

5,622 (3.1%)

5,203 (3.2%)

Never married

75,917 (42.3%)

68,649 (42.2%)

Median income (weekly)

Individual

$871

$744

Family

$2,105

$1,759

Household

$1,983

$1,674

Family composition %

Couple with children

46.2%

46.3%

Couple without children

35.2%

34.0%

One parent families

16.6%

17.9%

Other family types

2.0%

1.8%

*All numbers based on Place of Usual Residence

Dwellings

2016

2011

Occupied private dwellings

65,053

60,883

Median household rent (weekly)

$315

$225

Median household mortgage repayments (monthly)

$2,167

$2,054

Median bedrooms per household

2.9

2.8

Average number of people per household

2.9

2.9

Household composition %

Family households

72.8%

72.3%

Single (or lone) person households

21.9%

21.9%

Group households

5.3%

5.8%

*All numbers based on Place of Enumeration, excludes visitor only and other non-classifiable households